[unreadable] [unreadable] The overall goal of the conference is to advance a dialog on how we can improve public health and welfare, as well as protect ecosystems, from damage caused by airborne particles. To achieve this goal, we will bring together individuals with different backgrounds to integrate information from several disciplines. Specific objectives of the conference include the following: 1. To enable the findings of PM research programs at institutions in North America, Europe, Asia, and elsewhere to be disseminated to the scientific, industrial, and regulatory communities in a timely manner, and to enable rigorous debate of the findings; 2. To highlight findings from major programs in North America, (e.g., the U. S. PM-Health Centers, PM Supersites Program, and Ozone-PM Centers), Europe, Asia, and possibly other continents; 3. To showcase national assessments, (e. g., the NARSTO North American PM Assessment and Integrated Critical Review, Canadian Assessment, and others); 4.To evaluate progress on national PM strategies, (e.g., the NRC Committee on Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter); 5.To add significantly to the peer-reviewed literature by publishing research results presented at the conference in a variety of special issues of selected journals. [unreadable] [unreadable]